Never Doubt I Love You
by Nejuke
Summary: Samezuka academy is doing a performance of the famous Shakespearian play, Hamlet. Rin, now the leader of the school swim team is cast with the lead role however Sousuke worries that his own role might hit a little close to home. (For brevity's sake Aiichirou and Momotarou will just be called Ai and Momo...sounds cuter too!) Sousuke X Rin Momotarou X Aiichirou (Hinted Rin X Haru)
1. Chapter 1 - Interpretations

Sousuke couldn't believe his luck. He stared hard at the small, crumpled piece of paper in his hand and read its contents over and over; just to make sure what he was seeing was correct. He heard the other Samezuka students jeer and laugh to one another as small groups began to form – people asking which roles they had been assigned. Many simply laughed, having pulled only minor roles whilst others seemed delighted with the casting choice. Sousuke on the other hand folded the note and hid it almost defensively in his pocket away from prying eyes.

"Hey, Sousuke," he heard from behind. He turned to see Rin, accompanied by both Ai and Momo, almost sauntering towards him, his sharp pearl teeth flashing into a sardonic grin. Momo, on the other hand, didn't seem to share his senior's good spirits and continued to mumble under his breath. When asked it was Ai who answered for his usually sporadic friend.

"He was hoping to get the lead role." Ai stammered as he met Sousuke's cool yet compassionate gaze. He wasn't at all surprised to see Momo's reaction; there were many female students, all of whom Momo found attractive in one way or another. It was no secret that he'd hoped with all his heart that he would be playing alongside either one of them, as the hero and the heroine.

As usually Rin was quick to turn his attention back to Sousuke and away from the depressed youth, leaving Ai to comfort him if he could. With his crimson eyes glistening somewhat maliciously he stepped closer to Sousuke and the two shared a thought.

"On three we show each other the role we've been assigned." Rin smirked, obviously happy with the role he had been given. At that moment Sousuke remembered why exactly he had hidden the paper in the pocket of his school trousers. If he showed Rin there would be no end to the red head's taunts and sniggers.

However Rin gave him little time to think of an excuse and was already in the process of unfolding his strip of paper. In an attempt to maintain his cool façade he quickly interrupted his friend with a weak smile before holding out his fist.

"Only if you beat me." Sousuke chuckled, his eyes narrowing as he waited patiently for his friend's response. Being as competitive as he was Rin swiftly accepted the challenge, "Best of three," he sneered, confident that he would win.

Ai and Momo watched from the side as the two seniors engaged in a tense match of janken (rock-paper-scissors). Silently Ai cheered for Rin, his eyes glowing with pride and admiration. He watched as Rin's hand came down, swift and decisive, his palm to the ground, laughing wildly at his first victory. In a matter of seconds it was then clasped around Sousuke's tightly clenched fist. Inside Sousuke, though he had lost the first round, could only laugh at how small the latter's hands were in comparison to his own.

The second round ensued shortly, attracting the gaze of some of the other school members. They remained where they were but watched, fascinated, through the corner of their eyes. This time it was Sousuke who won. He looked to Rin and watched his smile became taunt at the edges.

"Promise you won't cry if I win." Sousuke teased, noticing the irritation swimming in Rin's darkened eyes.

"As if!" Rin snapped defensively before mocking Sousuke's attempts to distract him. Sousuke laughed lightly in response, drawing a genuine tender smile from the annoyed shark which soon disappeared as his attention fell again to their current battle.

Unlike Sousuke, whose emotions were seemingly hidden or at least well maintained Rin was extremely expressive and volatile, even this childish game had him on edge. If his pride were not at stake he would gladly throw the game if only to make Rin feel better but as things stood that wasn't an option so he gritted his teeth and watched as his friend grew more and more irate.

By the final match Sousuke had, to his surprise, won, thankfully. He looked to Rin who by now had folded his arms tightly across his chest and appeared to be sulking.

"I won." He exclaimed softly as if to reiterate the fact that he had won. He expected Rin's response to be bitter and dismissive but was surprised to see him crack a smile which stretched from ear to ear. He was happy to see Rin hadn't taken the loss too seriously.

"Now show me your role." Sousuke hummed as he waited for Rin to fish the note from his pocket.

From the side Ai comforted his senior, praising his efforts and gushing over him as usual. Momo, who had grown bored half way through the two's game, had wandered off to speak with some girls however had shortly returned after being turned down.

Suddenly Sousuke's stomach knotted as he read the fine printed letters. He read over the name again as he had done his own, praying that there had been some misunderstanding. He made sure to conceal his horror behind a forced smile before he handed back the scrap of paper, subsequently saving Rin from the over bearing junior.

"Hamlet," He mused, "that's a good role for you."

Rin smirked, pleased with his role. To his knowledge at least he had beaten Sousuke in landing the lead role which seemed to mend his somewhat damaged ego though if only he knew. Sousuke could see him growing curious as time passed. In an attempt to shift the focus from himself he asked the two younger students about their own roles.

"I'll be playing Laertes." Ai stammered. For him it was a fairly large role, one he felt might be too much for him yet he was determined to make Rin proud. Momo however was reluctant to share his role at first until he finally succumbed to Sousuke's gentle pressuring.

"Gertrude." He sighed, not at all impressed that he would be playing a female let alone Hamlet's mother. Ai looked to his friend with sympathy, Rin however broke out into a violent fit of laughter to Momo's dismay.

"I'm sure you'll be great!" Ai exclaimed gingerly, hoping to make Momo feel better to no avail. Realising his attempts had failed Ai looked pleadingly towards Sousuke, his grey eyes searching from compassion. He would receive none. Cruelly Sousuke regarded Rin and Momo before informing them of one of the many interpretations of Hamlet's and Gertrude's relationship.

The two fell quite before turning to face one another. Ai, lost for words, didn't know where to begin as Sousuke remained silent and let his words sink in.

"But," Momo began, tripping over his words until his voice faded. Rin's mouth opened in protest but shut after a moment of silence until Ai intervened.

"I don't think we'll be following 'that' interpretation."

Rin and Momo quickly nodded in agreement, their faces still a mix of confusion and horror although Sousuke only shook his head. Rin fervently rejected the idea of performing such an interpretation, shooting a venomous glare in Sousuke's direction which was received with a teasing grin. He was certain Rin's disgust wasn't out of disrespect for the script but because he didn't like the idea of 'lusting' after Momo. That thought more than anything seemed to annoy him.

Nonetheless Sousuke was glad that the group had been distracted; Rin seemed to have forgotten all about Sousuke's own role. Now all that concerned him was the thought of the upcoming rehearsals. Purposefully missing them would be detrimental. Asking to practice in private would arouse suspicion. The fear of performing such a role consumed his thoughts. Would all his passion flood the auditorium? Would his performance be deemed too genuine and alert his comrades to his true feelings? At that point who would be on stage, Sousuke or Ophelia?

(Author's Notes: I wanted to do this ever since I found out that Sousuke and Nezumi from No. 6 have the same voice actor. Plus I thought the idea of Sousuke in drag would be amusing! I'm sorry! Free belongs to whoever owns it. Hamlet belongs to Shakespeare.)


	2. Chapter 2 - Rehearsal

(Author's Notes: DISCLAIMER! I have quoted acts from Shakespeare's Hamlet. They do not belong to me! I can't say I like how I ended this chapter, it seemed a little rushed and melodramatic but I realised it was getting a bit too long. I also realised I didn't assign any of the character to play Polonius which would have made things much easier...)

Sousuke sat towards the rear of the auditorium with the think printed manuscript nestled in his lap. Upon first receiving the script he was desperate to find out which scene he would first appearance; luckily he would haven't to make his grand entrance until the third scene of the first act. To further his relief Hamlet and Ophelia would not be seen together until Act 3 which not be practiced for some time yet. I n meantime this meant the two, until that point, would be rehearsing away from one another. He was certain Rin would only be present for the acts that Hamlet was needed, or so he hoped.

The first act, which was now being conducted, consisted only of the characters Horatio, Bernardo and Marcellus, who were all played by no one who knew personally. He watched as they fumbled over the difficult language, their movements stiff and awkward as the paced about the open stage. He imagined himself stood beneath the harsh lights Since they were not needed neither Rin, Ai or Momo had decided to come to the first rehearsal which pleased him; he was able to use the time to practice by himself so that when the fought act final came around he might lessen his embarrassment by out-performing his classmates.

He would first appear in the third scene of the first act alongside Ai who would be performing the role of Ophelia's brother, Laertes. This didn't particularly faze him since Ai was much more sympathetic and would certainly be more supportive. Playing a female role was however was of little concern, it was the thought of Ophelia confessing her love for Hamlet that was unsettling.

He blushed slightly as his eyes skimmed her lines, his thoughts filled with Hamlet's vows of love. Yet Laertes spoke to him and warned him of his own affections. Had he, like Ophelia, deluded himself into believing that his Hamlet felt more for him than what he believed?

Suddenly his mind shook as ocean eyes surfaced in his memories, cold and indifferent.

Haruka.

Sousuke was just about to exit the auditorium when he heard a familiar voice. He looked over his shoulder along the rows of padded seats to see Ai cautiously making his way over gripping his script tightly against his chest.

"Yamazaki-senpai, you're here too." He smiled meekly. He gestured shyly to the vacant seat by Sousuke's side and waited patiently for the senior's permission to sit. Sousuke replied with a smile and moved his rucksack, allowing Ai to take a seat by his side. Through the corner of his eye he could see that Ai, like himself, had already taken to the manuscript with a highlighter of some sort outlining his lines so that it might be easier to remember them.

"You should remember the lines before your own." Sousuke mused as he watched Ai whisper the lines to himself. He turned to Sousuke and nodded sharply before diving into his bag in search of a different coloured pen. After watching Ai rummage through his belongings, taking out various knick-knacks and non-essentials only to find he had not packed an additional pen Sousuke handed him one of his own.

"Thank you Yamazaki-senpai!" Ai stammered as he took the pen graciously. He sighed heavily as he looked down towards the thickly bound script, the uncapped pen suspended above the unmarked text. He lingered silently consumed by his thoughts to even notice Sousuke watching him from the corner of his eye. Without asking he knew that Ai was debating with himself over his ability to play such a demanding role. With a frim but gentle had he patted the younger student's shoulder in an attempt to reassure him although Ai did not reply.

"Why don't we practice together?" Sousuke suggested as he made to stand. Ai quickly shot him a pleading glance but remained seated.

"Really?"

Sousuke was surprised by Ai's doubtful tone but said nothing. Instead he indicated for Ai to stand and initiated their first scene together by reading the following stage directions, _'Scene three. A room in Polonius' house. Enter Laertes and Ophelia.'_

With a timid voice Ai began, quietly at first, reciting his lines though his words were slurred and rushed since he was desperate to finish. He felt embarrassed to perform, even in front of Sousuke and he visibly shook from the strain of it all.

"Breath." Sousuke instructed softly, "You need to project you voice so that everyone in the room can hear you."  
Taking a deep breath Ai began his lines again with more confidence however there were still improvements to be made.

He tried again, "My necessaries are embarked….embarked… farewell…and, sister, as the winds give benefit…" but once again fell short. His small hands clasped even tighter around the edge of his script causing the paper to crunch as his skin became balmy with stress, his eyes falling to his feet.

Sousuke understood it would take some time before Ai had mastered the Shakespearian language and assured him that no one would judge him to harshly if he made a mistake or two. He was not expected to be a prize winning actor nevertheless Sousuke's words seemed to fall flat. Ai sighed once again and slumped into the seat closest to him before placing the mangled script back into his bag. It appeared he was almost ready to give up.

"My necessaries are embarked, farewell, and sister, as the winds give benefit and convoy is assistant, do not sleep, but let me hear from you." His voice was powerful and bold, almost majestic in its delivery. Those who had been practising at the front of the auditorium had fallen silent and had begun to listen intently as Sousuke continued the role of Laertes. Ai watched in amazement, his eyes glistening with awe, unable to speak or move until Sousuke had finished.

"Do you doubt that?" Sousuke then questioned himself, altering the pitch of his voice so that it was possible to distinguish the lines from one another. Even as Ophelia, though his voice was soft and gentle, Ai felt his body quiver with excitement.

"For Hamlet and the trifling of his favour. Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood. A violet in the youth of primy nature. Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting. The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more." He finished, his voice fading into a whisper as he opened his eyes to see the junior student starting back towards him, dumbfounded and mute. Those below on stage remained just as silent, occasionally exchanging glances between one another as they in turn looked up towards the source of such a regal voice.

All at once they found themselves clapping cheering at Sousuke from where they stood and soon Ai joined them.

"Yamazaki-senpai," He began yet no words came to mind as he thought to express his admiration. Filled with a new found determination he snatched his script from its perch and inhaled deeply before closing his eyes and adopting the stance Sousuke's had taken when delivering the lines of Laertes.

With greater clarity and confidence Ai was able to recite each line, becoming Laertes. Sousuke followed with his own just as passionately as before and soon the two had reached the end of their scene together.

As Ai spoke Sousuke was once again remained of Rin and the love he felt for him. He almost laughed at how pathetic he was becoming. He was usually much stronger, able to bare the heaviest burdens, able to shoulder the weight of emotions even if they were not his own. Despite his steely emotional resolve whenever Rin was involved a weakness was always exposed and deep down it disturbed Sousuke. The fact that he had become so protective, so possessive, so madly in love with Rin frightened him. Laertes' warning to Ophelia remained in his heart for the remainder of that day, echoing cruelly in his mind yet it would be the words of Polonius that would cut him more deeply.


End file.
